CHICAGO - Coach James Franklin and seniors Jordan Lucas, Angelo Mangiro and Anthony Zettel unofficially kicked off the 2015 season at Big Ten Media Day on Friday, July 31 inside the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place downtown Chicago. Here are some photos from the days events.

Franklin and the trio of players participated in a wide range of activities with
local and national media throughout the day.
Take a look through highlights from a busy day in Chicago.

8:30 a.m. - Television and Radio Circuit
Kicks Off Media DaysIt was an early start to the day for Coach Franklin and the Nittany Lions.
Franklin sat down with ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg to kick off a busy day of
interviews. The television and radio circuit included stops at Big Ten Network,
CBS, ESPN, FOX and SiriusXM College Sports. The players filmed segments that
will air on preview shows throughout the fall, including ESPN's College
Gameday.

9:30 a.m. - Coach Franklin Addresses the
MediaHead coach James Franklin stepped to the podium on Friday morning to speak
with the more than 500 credentialed media members. Franklin spent 15 minutes
discussing the Nittany Lions as the team gets set for training camp.

"Well, really excited about the opportunity to be here
today, represent Penn State, represent the Big Ten," Franklin said. "You think
about the story that's being told about our institution and the Big Ten as a
whole this year compared to last year. It couldn't be more dramatically
different."

Sound bites from the press meeting:

- Franklin on Christian Hackenberg - "Hack's had a great summer, and really
spring. He was on the kind of the quarterback circuit. Did some things this
summer and had some unique experiences, which were awesome as well. But to me,
the storyline is the same as it was last year. I told everybody our concern
wasn't with Christian Hackenberg, it was all the pieces of the puzzle around
Christian. Like I said, we had one returning starter on the offensive line last
year. This year four. Three of our four receivers last year were freshmen. We
lost Adam Breneman, tight end, who we were expecting big things out of before
the season started. And all those guys are back and with more experience. So
I'm excited that Christian is going to be able to continue his development."

- Franklin on the Big Ten - "I think it's great. That's why you come to the Big
Ten. That's why you come to Penn State. It's exciting that we're able to go to
high schools and go to recruits and say - you have an opportunity to get a
world-class education and play against the very best, which is what everybody
wants to do. Big-time football, big-time academics, tremendous support. I think
it's great. I think it's great for our conference. Like I said in the
beginning, you think about the stories and the narrative that was being told a
year ago compared to now, it's a 180-degree switch. So I think that's exciting.
I think it's exciting in the fact that our players are going to be able to
compete against some of the top players in the country. Our coaches are going
to be able to compete against top coaches. We're going to be able to go into
great environments and play big-time college football. We've embraced it. We're
excited about it. It's all about competing in everything you do, in the
classroom and on the football field."

- Franklin on motivation from last season - "I do. I think
so. I think going through it is never fun, but I do think that they will be
better because of that experience. I also feel that way about Christian
Hackenberg. I think the mental and physical toughness that he showed last year
in the long run is really going to help him. So, yeah, I think our offensive
line has a chip on their shoulder. I think they worked like that all offseason.
So, yeah, I would really appreciate if any of you guys are willing to write
some nasty article about them to continue to motivate them to continue to push
them throughout the season."

"I'm really proud of our guys and the way they have worked this offseason. We are excited," said Franklin.

2:30 p.m. - Open Media SessionFranklin and the trio of players moved into a
podium media session following the luncheon. Additionally, each member of the
group spent 60 minutes in a roundtable media event.

The theme of the remarks from the players and Coach Franklin centered on
excitement for the start of training camp next week. The Nittany Lions have
more depth across the roster, and Franklin and the players noted what type of
advantage entering a season with a two-deep at every position does for the
team's growth.

"I'm really excited about this year," said Lucas. "We have a lot more depth
than we've had, and it just makes everyone elevate their game."

"Having more talent all around the team just makes you want to work that much
harder at everything you do," said Zettel. "I'm really looking forward to
seeing what we can do."

6:00 p.m. - Media Day RoundupThe Nittany Lion contingent wrapped up a jam-packed day of events in the early evening hours on Friday before traveling back to State College. It was a superb trip for the student-athletes and Coach Franklin, but now focus shifts towards the start of training camp. The Nittany Lions will host Media Day on Aug. 6 before taking the field for the first practice. Penn State enters camp with more depth and a great deal of confidence leading up to the 2015 season. Stay tuned for much more coverage leading up to the season opener against Temple on Sept. 5.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The unofficial kickoff to the 2015 Big Ten football
has arrived. The 44th Annual Big Ten Kickoff will take place inside the Hyatt
Regency McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago on Thursday and Friday.

GoPSUsports.com will be on site to cover all of the action. Head coach James
Franklin, senior safety Jordan Lucas, senior center Angelo Mangiro and senior
defensive tackle Anthony Zettel will represent Penn State in Chicago.

The two-day event will be filled with interviews and press conferences with a
wide variety of national media outlets. Seven Big Ten teams will take part in
media events on Thursday (Michigan
State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Maryland, Indiana, Iowa and Ohio State), and
seven teams will participate in events on Friday (Minnesota, Michigan, Rutgers, Northwestern, Nebraska,
Purdue and Penn State).

The BTN and ESPNU will have extensive coverage on TV. BTN will present more than 13 hours of live coverage of Big Ten
football media days on Thursday and Friday. BTN will air the press conferences
for all 14 coaches, as well as Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany. Press
conference coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET live on Thursday. BTN's live press
conference coverage resumes on Friday at 9 a.m. ET. BTN Live will air from 3-7 p.m. ET on both Thursday and Friday with
interviews featuring coaches and players.

Coverage by ESPNU will air from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. ET on both days with coverage of
the press conferences and media day festivities. ESPNU will air the press
conferences with all 14 coaches on a live or tape-delayed basis on both days.

On Friday, GoPSUsports.com will be home to all of the happenings in Chicago. Stay
tuned throughout Big Ten Media Days for live updates, videos and photos from
Chicago.

Listed below are some of the key events from the Big Ten Kickoff in Chicago.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Jordan Dickerson, Devin Foster, Donovon Jack and
Brandon Taylor will not be looking around for a veteran leader come October
when the Nittany Lion basketball team begins official practice.

The group of 2015-16 seniors has already laid the groundwork in taking
ownership of the Penn State program thanks to a productive summer season on and
off the court.

"I think we've done a good job of establishing ourselves as the guys who set
the tone for the younger players," Dickerson said. "We have a lot of new talent
on the roster, and we are just trying to set an example to help these guys
become contributors."

Dickerson and his fellow seniors pointed to team chemistry and hard work as the
driving forces behind what has been a strong preliminary phase of the upcoming
season.

"Everybody is working hard right now," Taylor said. "I
couldn't ask for more. We need to keep getting better, and we all can't wait
for the season.""The seniors have stepped up to show that we can lead this
team," Jack said. "We have really good team chemistry, and the guys have worked
really hard. The guys have bought in completely, and it's one of the closest
teams I've ever been on."
The good chemistry starts with how the group gets along outside of the gym.

"It begins in our locker room," Taylor said. "We are all
friends. We go out to eat together. We go to the movies together. That's where
the chemistry on the court starts. You get to know your teammate as more than a
teammate."
On the court, the Nittany Lions want to play fast. With the new 30-second shot
clock in place for the season, the team wants to get up and down the floor to
create more scoring opportunities. So far, the players are encouraged by the
results during summer workouts.

"I like the way we are playing," Taylor said. "We are
getting the ball up and down the floor, and we are playing unselfish. Our
guards can get rebounds and push the ball to get better shots."
The Lions are moving the ball to get better looks at the basket, passing up a
good shot for a great shot. The unselfish approach on the offensive end of the
floor lends itself to more productivity.

"We are learning that when someone has a good shot, someone
else likely has a better shot," Jack said.

"And we are doing it in July. Guys are getting better shots because we have
been unselfish," Taylor said. "That just proves we are becoming a better team."
The ball movement aids everyone on the floor, but for a guy like Dickerson,
unselfish basketball puts a 7-footer in a great spot to have success around the
basket when he moves swiftly up the floor. Dickerson remained on campus during
both summer sessions, and he has worked tirelessly to get in better physical
condition because he knows how much it can help the team succeed.

"My summer has been really good," Dickerson said. "I stayed both summer
sessions. I think the group has worked extremely hard during both sessions to
continue improving on and off the court. I think I play the best when I have a
clear head and when I'm not fatigued on the court. It's my last year, so I'm
just trying to be a force on the floor."

That could not have been more evident than during Tuesday's 5-on-5 workout when
Dickerson dove for a loose ball on defense before earning a trip to the free
throw line and sinking two foul shots on the offensive end of the floor.

"Those type of plays are very important for our team to be
successful," Dickerson said. "I felt really good after that play. It boosts
your energy. And if we play like that, we are going to have a very productive
year."

Dickerson's off court development and efforts on the floor aren't going
unnoticed by his teammates.

"He's working hard for us, and we have to work hard for him," Taylor said. "To
see a 7-footer get on the floor, that's not easy for him. That was big for us
to see. It makes everybody else want to get that much better."

A play like Dickerson's dive and subsequent free throws equate to tallies in
the program's "Attitude Club". Hard work and a positive attitude are the
pillars of Nittany Lion Basketball. And while it may only be July, the program's
core values are alive and well.

"One thing we are focused on this year is that no matter what happens on the
court, we are going to stay positive," Taylor said. "When things aren't going
your way and you get negative, that's when you start losing things. We are
going to stay positive and stay together."

By Maria Canales, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff WriterUNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - While many of his teammates have spent their
summers relaxing, working out or conditioning for the upcoming season,
men's hockey junior David Goodwin spent the first half of his summer studying
in Mexico. The forward, who notched 15 goals during the 2014-15 campaign, found
his niche while taking classes towards his Spanish degree.

Goodwin stayed with a host family, which he said was one of the most
appealing parts about choosing this abroad experience.

"I stayed with a
Mexican family who was only able to speak Spanish," said Goodwin. "It's a
little bit different from other programs where you get to stay in an apartment
or a dorm. I really thought that staying with a Spanish speaking family would
be the best for me to immerse myself in the culture and in the language."

Although his host family hadn't heard of Penn State hockey before they
met Goodwin, they quickly learned about the program. Goodwin taught the family
everything they needed to know about the famed Hockey Valley.

"I don't think they
knew I was on the hockey team, but they definitely figured it out since I wore
a lot of Penn State hockey stuff around the house," said Goodwin. "Eventually I
was showing them videos of our games and they were just in awe. They thought it
was really cool and they're going to try to come up for a game in the next
couple years."

Goodwin talked about his favorite cultural aspects of his time abroad.
He emphasized that the slower pace of life was what he enjoyed most, especially
when it came to bonding with his host family. Mealtimes in Mexico, Goodwin
learned, were the cornerstone of family interaction, and the time around a meal
is valued as a vital part of a family's relationship.

"After the
meals, sitting at the table and just chit chatting in Spanish, in Mexico that's
a big cultural thing called 'sobre la mesa' where you stay at the table
afterwards for an hour, hour and a half, and just talk with each other," said
Goodwin. "That was a great experience for me."

No stranger to
living with host families, Goodwin spent his years in junior hockey, before
playing for Penn State, staying with host families. Goodwin explained that he
felt he had an advantage when it came to getting used to living with a host
family, since he had done it many times before.

"I felt like I definitely had a leg up on the other students that were with me
because this was probably my fifth time kind of going in to a situation where I
was going to be living with a host family who I didn't know before," said
Goodwin. "The first few hours and couple days are a bit awkward but I
definitely felt I was more comfortable because I had done it so many times
prior."

Since his time in
Mexico was part of a study abroad experience, Goodwin had the opportunity to
take classes and learn more about Mexican heritage and culture. Goodwin took
two Spanish classes, one on Mexican literature and another on Mexican history.

"I also took an art
class on Mexican art, but that was taught in Spanish so I basically took three
Spanish classes," said Goodwin.

His time learning
and experiencing a new culture didn't confine the All-Big Ten Honorable Mention
hockey player to just a classroom. During his final weekend in Mexico, Goodwin
and others in his study abroad program traveled to the state of Puebla.

While in Puebla,
Goodwin and his fellow students spent a full day at a local school, immersing
him further into a culture he had started to become familiar with. This
experience resonated with Goodwin in a life-changing way.

"We did some
tourist things, but we volunteered at a school for a little over a day," said
Goodwin. "We brought them some food and
worked with the kids in the classroom, talked to the kids a lot, and we played a
lot of soccer at recess. It was pretty powerful, so I was really happy we did
that."

The students at the
school taught Goodwin some new soccer tricks, which he believes will come in
handy by the time the 2015-16 Penn State men's hockey season rolls around.

"When [my teammates
and I] are warming up before the games and we're playing soccer, I'll show them
some of my moves I learned in Mexico," said Goodwin.

Goodwin's time in
Mexico was a transformative experience, both educationally and personally.
Having started out with his own preconceived ideas of the Mexican culture and
peoples, Goodwin quickly learned that not everything he had in his head was a
proper portrayal of such a wonderful country.

Goodwin explained
that the people he met and lived with, along with the beautiful countryside,
including mountains and waterfalls, have changed how he will forever look at
the country he called home during his summer.

When asked what
aspects of the Spanish culture he would bring back to Penn State, Goodwin
highlighted that the most important things he learned were about prioritizing
time and relationships.

"I think just the
awareness of how other people live in the world, experiencing that there's way
more to life than the material things, there's way more to life than hockey,"
said Goodwin. "To see the joys the families had in each other and spending time
with each other was something that I felt had been lacking in my life in
America, so just bringing back that joy and appreciation for the smaller things
in life I think Americans take for granted."

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion football team spent Thursday
interacting with fans around State College distributing the 2015 "Black Shoes.
Basic Blues. No Names. All Game." posters. The team boarded four Blue Buses and
spread out in different locations in State College and on the University Park
campus. Additionally, head coach James Franklin hand delivered several sets of
season tickets.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
The Penn State football program announced on Thursday that names would be
removed from the jerseys to rekindle a longstanding tradition of "Black Shoes.
Basic Blues. No Names. All Game." Head coach James Franklin, along with
letterman and current assistant coach Terry Smith and some of the current
players met with the media on Thursday evening met with the media to discuss
the jerseys.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With the start of preseason practice for the Nittany
Lion football team just around the corner, July is filled with news pertaining
to watch lists for college football's national awards. Follow along with a
preseason award tracker below.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Maintaining a positive attitude is the name of
the game for Penn State Football at all hours of the day.

Head coach James Franklin and the team live by core value No. 1 - positive
attitude - to ensure that every member of the program and every member of the
community that the program touches have a upbeat attitude and experience during
each interaction.

With that in mind, the entire team boarded three buses on Wednesday afternoon
on a mission to make a positive impact on a visit to Penn State Hershey
Children's Hospital. For the second-straight year, the Nittany Lions received a
rousing cheer from the medical center staff members, patients and their families
when the group walked in the front door.

Upon arrival, the team broke into smaller groups and walked through different
sections of the hospital to spread enthusiasm and uplifting energy. In room
after room, the Nittany Lion players and staff members were greeted with smiles
from patients and families. The hospital staff members in each wing posed for
photos and thanked the team for taking time to visit the immaculate facility.

"We are really excited about being here," Franklin said. "This is turning into a
tradition. We talk all the time with our guys about being men for others.
That's a term we use all the time in our program to teach our guys about
service...A lot of times all of us get caught up in our day-to-day lives, but
coming to the Children's Hospital, it puts things in perspective. You realize
how blessed you are. I've been inspired."

Several groups of players visited with non-ambulatory patients in their rooms
in the Hematology/Oncology, Pediatric Intermediate Care, Medical/Surgical and
the Emergency Room of the hospital. Other groups spent time engaging with
ambulatory patients in the Tree House Cafe where they signed autographs and
played games.

"Coming here and getting to see all of these kids and make an impact is an
experience that I can't really put into words," senior Matt Zanellato said.
"It's an experience that all of us look forward to. And it's something that all
of us embrace and enjoy making an impact on the kids."

Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital is a 263,000-square-foot, five-story
facility. The nearly $207 million facility was built adjacent to Penn State
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center's main entrance.

"Our guys have a great platform, and they embrace the
platform," Franklin said. "It's awesome when you can bring 125 guys (here), you
can spread out and touch a lot of different people in a positive way."

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.
- The 2015 Penn State Uplifting Athletes Lift For Life raised more then
$120,000 for kidney cancer awareness and research. The offense topped the
defense, 31-30, with a late rally to win Saturday's event. Take a look through
some highlights from 2015 Lift For Life.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.
- Penn State's 2014-15 season was one marked by excellence on the field, in the
classroom and in the community. GoPSUsports.com takes a look back at the
campaign in a season highlight reel.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Thanks to a late rally in the tug of war battle,
the Nittany Lion offense edged the defense, 31-30, in a six-event, head-to-head
strength and conditioning competition to benefit the Kidney Cancer Association
through Penn State's chapter of Uplifting Athletes.

For the fifth-straight year, the funds raised at Lift For Life were on pace to
reach new heights following another superb event on Saturday. With donation
figures still to be finalized, the 2015 Uplifting Athletes fundraising efforts
have lifted the 13-year total well above the $1 million mark. Fans
can still make a Lift For Life donation by visiting the Penn State Uplifting
Athletes donation page HERE.

A sun-splashed morning and a crowd of approximately 2,500 fans greeted the
Nittany Lions at the Penn State Lacrosse Field. The upperclassmen participated
in the head-to-head competition pitting the offense against the defense.
Simultaneously, the true freshmen ran in a mini Lift for Life kids clinic with
more than 100 participants on the turf at the lacrosse field.

"This is just a culmination of a lot of hard work," senior linebacker and
Uplifting Athletes President Ben Kline said. "Guys have spent all year raising
money, executing events, creating new ideas for fundraising, and today was an
opportunity to celebrate it."

The Nittany Lions put on a show for the fans in attendance with an exhibition
in six strenuous events. The competition featured eight rotations of one-on-one
battles in the 225-pound bench press, 400-pound "farmer" hold, obstacle course
relay, deadlift, sled push/pull relay and tire flip.

The final tally (31-30, Offense) was based on head-to-head victories in each
individual rep and the tug of war competition. Some of the notable performances
of the day on the bench press included senior defensive tackle Tarow Barney's
34-rep effort at 225 pounds. Junior offensive lineman Brian Gaia tallied 33
reps, while senior defensive tackle Anthony Zettel notched 31 reps.

The "farmer" hold turned into a fan favorite. A new event for 2015, the players
held 200 pounds in each hand in a race against the clock to see which player
could outlast the other. Matt Baney, Paris Palmer, Trevor
Williams, Matt Zanellato, Brandon Bell and Austin Johnson were among the individual
winners in the "farmer" hold.

When the six-event rotation wrapped up, the Nittany Lions moved in front of the
fans for the tug of war finale. Trailing by nine tallies (25-16) heading into
the final stage of competition, the offense scored three of the four five-point
battles to claim a 31-30 victory.

Despite the defense leading for most of the afternoon in the six field events,
the offense will take some friendly bragging rights into the rest of the summer
after taking three tug of war battles to clinch the crown as the overall
winners at the 2015 Lift for Life.

Following the workout, the Nittany Lions met with the loyal Nittany Lion fans
and signed autographs.

"We have the best fans in the nation," running back Akeel Lynch said. "For so
many people to be out here on a day when we are just working out in front them,
it just shows you how much support we have. It's pretty cool."

Assistant Athletic Director for Performance Enhancement Dwight Galt and his
staff had a blast at the Lift for Life event. He applauded the player-run
Uplifting Athletes organization for its countless hours of prep work to put on
another successful event.

"The No. 1 goal today was to raise $100,000. That was the No. 1 thing. They
couldn't control that, but that was really important to our guys," said Galt.
"The No. 2 thing - we wanted to have fun. The guys have eight weeks in the bank
right now (for summer workouts). They are crushing it right now...Then the
third thing, we wanted them to compete and put on a good show. And I think we
were 3-for-3. This was a big time success today."

The 13th Lift For Life was again a tremendous success and fundraiser for kidney
cancer, largely thanks to countless hours of preparation from the Uplifting
Athletes group led by Kline.

Penn State begins preseason practice on Aug. 6.

Much
more to follow, including video highlights from the 13th Annual Lift For Life